Movies and TV

Here are some of the movies and TV shows Windows Central is enjoying this week.

Timeless

Recommended by Richard Devine, reviews editor

A movie about time travel is my favorite of all time, but somehow the TV show Timeless slipped me by. My wife's a big fan and finally got me watching it, and it didn't take long to get hooked. There's the good guys, there's the inevitable villain, and there's travel to some of history's biggest moments. There are 16 episodes in the first season, but once you start it won't take long to get through it. Trust me on that one.

Isle of the Dogs

Recommended by Al Sacco, managing editor

Wes Anderson is one of those directors that you kind of either love or you … don't. I happen to be a big fan, so I watched his latest flick, Isle of Dogs, as soon as it became digitally available. And it totally lived up to my expectations.

The story is fairly simple: All of the dogs in a fictional Japanese city are exiled to an island, called Trash Island, and a small boy, who misses his beloved pet, heads to the island to find him. Adventure, and hilarity, ensue.

The movie looks like it's made with some form of futuristic Claymation. And it's beautiful. The various characters are voiced by many folks you'll likely recognize, including Bryan Cranston, Bill Murray, Edward Norton and Scarlett Johansonn. It's funny and heartwarming, and canine lovers, in particular, should really check this out. But even if your best friend isn't furry, this movie is still very much worth a watch.

RED

Recommended by Dan Thorp-Lancaster, staff writer

RED is a fantastic action-comedy flick featuring an all-star cast of Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman, and John Malkovich, among others. Willis plays Frank Moses, a retired CIA agent who finds himself fighting for his life after a team of assassins tries to take him out. The twist? It's his former employer who ordered the hit.

Following the assassination attempt, Moses tracks down some old pals of his from the agency – played by Freeman, Malkovich, and Mirren – to try to figure out what the heck is going on. And as they find out, the plot goes all the way to the very top of the government.

RED plays out like a fast-paced action flick, but it's full of comedic moments and witty banter. Oh, and if you enjoy John Malkovich for his oddball mannerisms, you'll love his character in this movie.

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping

Recommended by Cale Hunt, staff writer

After a long weekend at the lake, there was nothing I wanted to do more than sit back on the couch and watch a mindless movie. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping perfectly fit the bill. It stars Andy Samberg who plays a popstar that's at the top of his game — at least until he releases his latest album to poor reviews.

It's up to him to reunite with his old boy-band partners and hopefully gain back some favor from his fans. It's completely satirical and it's a hoot, but don't expect much in terms of content.

Music

Here's some of the music the Windows Central team is listening to this week.

FTL: Faster Than Light Original Soundtrack

Recommended by Rich Edmonds, staff reviewer

Lose yourself in space with the official soundtrack to the hit indie game Faster Than Light. Sporting a minimalist, exploratory, and retro feel, this relaxing soundtrack goes perfectly with any casual play through of your favorite space game. That or while you're cruising on the highway. The game is also very, very good and should be played if you haven't done so already.

We Stay High and Lonesome — D. Rangers

Recommended by Cale Hunt, staff writer

The music scene in Winnipeg has spawned quite a few famous acts, and though the D. Rangers haven't quite hit The Guess Who status, they're certainly a lot of fun to listen to. We Stay High and Lonesome, released back in 2004, is a style of Bluegrass music that sort of transcends the genre.

It's Canadian country music that's fast and catchy, and if you're from Winnipeg, you'll no doubt recognize what a lot of these songs are talking about.

Books

Here are the books we're reading this week!

Christine — Stephen King

Recommended by Cale Hunt, staff writer

I read Christine about a decade ago, but it caught my eye the other day from its shelf and I decided to give it another go. It's the story of a young man who falls in love with a Plymouth Fury, which he names Christine.

When the young man's friends start trying to get between him and Christine's chrome, blood starts flying. This is vintage King and, in my opinion, one of his best books from that era of his life.

The Cabin at the End of the World — Paul Tremblay

Recommended by Al Sacco, managing editor

Paul Tremblay's The Cabin at the End of the World is one of the creepier novels I've read in a long time. It's an apocalypse story set in the rural White Mountains of New Hampshire, where a couple and their young child rent a cabin on a secluded lake, in hopes of finding sanctuary from the bustling city — but where they instead encounter a set of (possibly insane) armed people who insist that the world will end if they do not make a Sophie's Choice-like decision.

There are no shortage of end-of-the world books, movies, and stories these days; the genre is kind of cliché at this point. But it's the little details and nuances of Tremblay's tale that really make it work, such as his spot-on allusions to the Book of Revelation and its Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

I also recently stayed in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, where I rented a cabin on a secluded lake, and where I, thankfully, was not confronted with a potential apocalypse. But I can say that Tremblay absolutely nailed the environment and atmosphere of his setting, which literally gave me goosebumps at times. This is a creepy page-turner that'll leave you thinking about it for a while.